1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a bucket for use as a bottom part of a device for packing cut flowers which furthermore comprises a sleeve-shaped top part, wherein the bucket comprises a peripheral channel which is open at a top side for receiving and retaining a bottom portion of the top part of the device, and wherein the peripheral channel projects outwardly with respect to a standing wall of the bucket. The invention also relates to a plate for use with a bucket as mentioned. Further, the invention relates to a device for packing cut flowers, comprising a bottom part constituted by a bucket as mentioned, and a sleeve-shaped top part. Still further, the invention relates to a stack of devices for packing cut flowers.
2. Description of Related Art
A device for packing cut flowers is known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,330 discloses a packaging for cut flowers comprising: a rectangular bucket with sloping side walls which are provided close to their top walls with a channel that projects outwards and is open at the top, the base of which channel serves to support a foldable rectangular protective tube. The purpose of the rectangular tube is to protect those parts of cut flowers placed in the bucket which extend above the bucket during transport and during presentation at auction or when put up for sale at wholesale markets. When the packaging is in a final position where the flowers are to be displayed, the rectangular tube is removed, the flowers fanning out in the bucket without having to be transferred.
Among other things, the known packaging may comprise a rectangular presentation collar which is suitable to be used in case the cut flowers have a relatively large length. The presentation collar is shorter than the protective tube as mentioned in the foregoing, so that when the protective tube has been removed, the top part of the flower stems with flowers extends well above the top edge of the presentation collar. The packaging comprises a shoulder which extends between the top edge of the sloping side walls of the bucket and the base or the bottom end of an inner flange of the channel, and which has a function of supporting the presentation collar besides other functions.
After having been removed from the top of the bucket, the protective tube can be utilized to support the bucket. To this end, the under surface of the base of the channel can form the base surface of another channel, particularly a channel which is open at the bottom, which is intended to form a seating channel for the top edge of the protective tube if the bucket is inserted from above into the protective tube.
A number of disadvantages is associated with the packaging known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,330. One of these disadvantages relates to the presence of the channel of the bucket that projects outwards and is open at the top. In practice, it appears that when a number of stacks containing buckets are positioned adjacent to each other, e.g. for transport purposes, there is a risk that a top side of an outer flange of the channel of a bucket in one stack ends up underneath the base of the channel of a bucket in an adjacent stack, as a result of which the latter bucket is lifted to some extent at the side where the channels mesh together, which causes the latter bucket and the stack of which the bucket is part to tilt away from the other stack. Hence, there is a risk that a stack containing buckets tilts and falls down, e.g. when a number of stacks containing buckets as present on a pallet are lifted by a fork-lift truck, which is highly undesirable. For the sake of completeness, it is noted that a stack containing buckets can be a stack of devices for packing cut flowers, wherein a bucket is part of each of the devices, or a stack of buckets only.
The problem of the channels of buckets of adjacent stacks meshing together in the way as described in the foregoing is associated with a relatively small height of the channel. Due to this relatively small height, only little mutual movement of the buckets suffices for obtaining the effect of the top side of the outer flange of the channel of one bucket ending up underneath the base of the channel of the other bucket. Hence, an obvious solution to the problem may be found in increasing the height of the channel. However, such solution would introduce a new problem, namely a decrease of the extent to which the buckets can be nested into one another, so that less buckets can be stacked before a maximum height of a stack of buckets is reached. Another obvious solution may be found in taking measures that stacks containing buckets are not positioned too closely together. However, such solution would also introduce a new problem, namely a decrease of the number of stacks that can be transported by means of one supporting device such as a pallet. Furthermore, amending the design of the bucket such that the channel projects inwardly with respect to the standing wall does not constitute a feasible option as doing so would result in an irregularity at the inside of the bucket which might be harmful to the cut flowers to be contained by the bucket.